Waterford City and County Council is to discontinue hosting the popular Mayor's Charity Ball.

The event has been a staple on the Waterford social calendar for more than 20 years.

An update was issued to councillors confirming the decision to "move in a new direction".

The Ball was reinstated by former Councillor Cha O'Neill during his tenure as Deputy Mayor in 2002 along with Fine Gael's Hilary Quinlan who served as Mayor.

The local authority describes the event as having been "synonymous with the indomitable Cha O'Neill".

"With Cha's retirement from the event this year, we recognised that attempting to replicate his unique legacy would be difficult and the decision was made not to continue hosting the Mayor's Charity Ball which was so successful over two decades. We felt it was important to reflect carefully on the future of the Mayor's Charity event and consider how it could evolve while remaining true to its core purpose."

The statement continues: "Over recent months, significant time and effort were devoted to planning the Mayor's event for 2026. Following weeks of discussions and negotiations, we were unfortunately faced with circumstances beyond our control which resulted in two confirmed big-name acts having to withdraw from the programme. While this was a disappointing setback, it also gave us the opportunity to reassess our plans and refocus on what truly matters."

In June 2025, Cha O'Neill was recognised for his contributions to the event following his decision to retire from the organising committee.

Numerous local charities have benefited from the event over the years.

Since the amalgamation of Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council in 2014, two Mayors have hosted the event each year - Waterford's Metropolitan Mayor and the Mayor of Waterford City and County Council.

It has been hosted at locations including the Ard Rí hotel, The Dome at SETU, Kingfisher Club and at The Tower Hotel.

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